This is How it Goes
by brencon
Summary: Continues on from where episode 7 of season 3 left of. One Shot.


**Disclaimer: **Veronica Mars belongs to Rob Thomas and the CW.

**Spoilers: **Continues from where Episode 7 of Season 3 left of. One Shot.

**Word Count: **2,276

* * *

Veronica sits up on the couch slowly. Her head feels like it was hit with a jack hammer for the past 12 hours. Her vision is a little blurred and she tastes the medication her father gave her after the doctor examined her.

Something…correction, someone, at her feet shifts. She blinks a few times, clearing the sleep and recognises the form instantly. It's Logan.

His hair is ruffled, his mouth open a little, his hands grip Veronica's feet to his chest, he shifts in his sleep again.

Veronica notices the clock on the wall. It's only 3:07am. She lowers her head and closes her eyes and waits for sleep to take over.

The smell of bacon awakes her, sevens hours later, and she quietly sits up again, noticing that Logan is now missing and her father is in the kitchen. She tosses the blanket to the floor and stretches. Her yawning alerts her father to her awakened state. He rushes over to her and hugs her gently, stroking her hair.

"What have I told you about leaving a drink unguarded in a public area?" He jokes, pulling her closer.

Veronica doesn't reply. Instead she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him tight. The bathroom door opens; the flushing of the toilet is heard. Veronica looks up to see Logan exiting. His hair is slightly damp yet he's still in the same clothes.

Keith pulls away, realising that his daughter has lost interest in him. He backs into the kitchen and wipes his tears away before continuing with the cooking.

Logan's rumpled clothing blur as he moves to her. He pulls her to him tight, kisses her hair as she starts crying into his shirt.

"Shh, you're alright, everything's alright, you're safe here." He says. Her sobbing eases as he pulls back. Her eyes are watering. He plucks a Kleenex from the box on the coffee table and dabs her eyes.

"You saved me. Again. How do you keep doing it?" She whispers to him as he kisses her forehead.

"It's what I do Ronnie. It's what makes 'us' us. You'll find the truth and I'll save you when the bad guy goes crazy."

"I…I was drugged again. Almost…" Her throat closes, stopping her from speaking. Her eyes water again. Logan pulls her to him again. "How did you save me?" she asks to his chest.

"You're alarm went off, you set it off. I heard it, ran to the parking garage and found you."

"Did you see him? Did they catch him?"

"No honey, the bastard got away." Keith replies from the kitchen. He lifts the plate filled with bacon, sausages and eggs and carries it to Veronica. The smell of the cooked meat causes her to shudder.

"I don't feel like eating."

"Well, I'll leave it here for when you do."

Her father kisses her cheek and heads into the bathroom.

"Veronica, why didn't you call me back? Or you're father?"

"When I was listening to your voice mails was…that was when the drugs were kicking in. I barely managed to get to the parking lot let alone make a phone call."

"Veronica, you're head was…some of your hair was cut off." Logan says.

Veronica's eyes widen, she raises a hand to the back of her head and gently searches for the bald spot. Finally she finds it. It's rough to the touch. She feels the scab beneath her fingers.

"Oh God." She breathes out, closing her eyes.

"I got to you before he could do anything worse."

Veronica falls back down onto the couch. She quietly cries. Images jump in her head. The crowd in the college canteen, walking down the steps to the parking lot…walking past the row of cars, seeing him. She shudders again and opens her eyes.

"Veronica, you have to take more medicine." Logan says, pouring some of the liquid on the spoon. He holds his other hand under it, not wanting to spill any on her, as he moves it to her.

Veronica opens her mouth and accepts the liquid. It annoys her taste buds, makes her feel nauseous as it slides down her throat. She hears the spoon drop to the table again, sees Logan watching her like she was made of glass or crystal.

The more he stares, the more she relaxes, lost in his chocolate brown eyes. She reaches her hand out and strokes his cheek, cups his face in her hand. She smiles lovingly at him, wishing, _praying, _that she could say the words she felt.

Logan's eyes widen in disbelief. Is she going to say it? He asks himself. If she says she loves me, then I'll know that she trusts me, and I won't have to do what's been plaguing me for this past week in my thoughts, in my dreams. When she opens her mouth, his eyes widen even more.

"I think I'm gonna sleep a little more."

He blinks his tears away and tangles her fingers in his. He raises her hand to his and kisses her knuckles.

"I'll help you to bed."

Logan stands, helps Veronica to her feet and leads the way. Veronica stumbles a few times before collapsing onto the bed. Logan throws the same blanket from the living room around her and kisses her lightly on the lips.

"Good night Ronnie."

He doesn't close the door completely; wanting to able to hear her if she needs him. He sits on the couch and hugs a pillow to his chest. The door to the bathroom opens again and Keith exits, noticing the food on the table.

"Still not hungry?"

"She went to bad, she's still tired." Seeing Keith's look, Logan continued. "I gave her the medicine."

"Good, that's good."

Logan places his head in his hands. Keith takes the seat beside Logan on the sofa.

"What is it Logan?"

"I keep thinking if I had been a few minutes later, she would've been r-…, he would've attacked her, leaving her like the others."

"Focus on the fact that you were and you'll be able to get through this."

"But this isn't the first time. I saved her from that kidnapper/ATF agent, then from the Fitzpatricks and Bea…Cassidy. And you know what is really scaring me?"

Keith shakes her head.

"That this won't be the last time. She'll find herself in even bigger danger soon and then I think, what if I'm not there to save her, will she still be here?"

"Logan, this is…it's what Veronica does. She can't have normal. She tried and it failed miserably."

"But now she's not only searching for the truth, she's getting under the son of a bitch's skin. And that is what really terrifies me. He knows who she is, but nobody has a clue who he is. Not the other girls, the cops, even Veronica. And one of these days she…one of these days she'll not be as lucky."

"Logan, I know that you're scared, I am too, but you can't say things like that, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy."

"I know Mr. Mars, but its how I feel."

"Does Veronica know this?"

Logan snorts and wipes his eyes with the same Kleenex. "Veronica wouldn't notice it until it suited her."

"Logan."

"What?" Logan throws Keith a questioning look. "What? It's the truth, Keith, and you know it! Veronica only cares about things when they aren't there. It's Veronica's world, we all just exist in it." Logan laughs quietly before looking at Keith again. "Now, Keith, look me straight in the eyes and tell me that I'm wrong."

Five seconds, two minutes, five minutes pass before Logan gets to his feet and moves to the door. He opens it, but doesn't move.

"If she asks where I am, tell her I've gone to class. _If_ she asks." Logan shakes his head and sighs before slamming the door shut.

Keith sits back on the sofa before getting to his feet. He grabs the breakfast, moves to the kitchen and places it in under the grill. He moves to his room, grabs his cell phone and dials a number. On the third ring, the call is answered.

"It's me. Are you still packed?"

Some time later, Veronica awakes alone in her room. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes and rises. In the living room, watching TV is Wallace and Piz.

"When did you get home?" She asks her BFF.

"When I got the call from your dad. How are you feeling?"

"Like someone dropped an anvil on my head. I thought you were studying like mad?"

"Veronica, I'm always there when you need me."

"And why is Piz here?"

"I was bored." He answers a little too quickly.

"Was Logan here when you got here?"

"Nope."

"And where's my dad?"

"Working. He still gotta make a living. He called me and asked I look after you for the day, until he gets home."

"Did he say where my food is?"

"Under the grill."

"Great, I'm starved."

Veronica turns and walks away. Wallace watches her move and notices the not-so-obvious bald patch.

"How you feeling anyways, beside the anvil thing?"

"Better, the meds are doing their job. I was all loopy when the doctor was examining me. He gave me this stuff to take every few hours that helps clear the drugs."

"Do you remember anything?"

An image flashes in her head of her attacker. "He wore a black hoodie and smokes."

"That's more than any of the other…victims…" Piz starts, and stops, noticing the look from Wallace, that BFF death glare that he doesn't use too often.

"I know." Veronica replies, turning away from the boys to the grill.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"Catch the son of a bitch." Veronica mutters, tears running down her cheeks.

"That's the Veronica we all know and love."

Veronica chuckles, wipes her eyes and takes the plate out. Before she faces the duo, her smile is back in place.

"So, what are we watching?"

Piz guiltily looks at the TV, than back at Veronica before mumbling incoherently. When Veronica tilts her head, Piz speaks again, with a clearer voice.

"Power Rangers."

Veronica laughs and sits at the breakfast bar. "And you've been five since…?"

"Come on, it's a classic. Tommy has just returned to the fold."

"Whatever."

As the trio continue to watch TV, a knock comes at the door. Veronica throws Wallace a pleading look and, being the good friend that he is, gets up to answer it.

"Is she awake?" Logan asks, entering the room. Wallace steps out of his way and he sees Veronica eating. "I'll take that as a yes." Logan turns to the guys. "You two can go now, I can take it from here."

"That's good, cause I need to study." Wallace comments. He walks to Veronica and hugs her. "You need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to call." Veronica mutely nods. Piz just shyly waves before leaving; Wallace closes the door after himself.

"How are you?"

"I'm better. I'm remembering more of the…incident."

"Maybe that's not a good thing?"

"Why not? The more information I have, the easier it will be for me to catch this asshole."

"Veronica! When are you going to realise that you're not Batgirl. You can't just go around saving the world, not at the expense of being hurt, or, God, even killed. I love you so much that even the slightest trouble you get into scares the hell out of me. Do you even think about me when you go off half cocked? Or your Dad?"

"So, I can't catch the guy raping innocent girls around the campus, but its ok for you to go to TJ with you're gambling buddy and set a motel on fire?"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"Yes, it does! People could've been injured, Logan. Killed! And you left to save your buddy's ass!"

"What do you want me to do, Veronica? Go back in time and stop Mercer from getting wasted and knocking the lamp over? Or go back in time and kill my father before he starts screwing Lilly? Would that make you trust me?"

"My trust issues have nothing to do with this!"

"They have EVERYTHING to do with this! If you hadn't thought the worse of me, you wouldn't have been avoiding me, you would've taken my calls, and some jerk wouldn't have drugged and almost rape you!"

Logan groans out in frustration and drops onto the sofa again, hands running through his hair. He takes a few deep breaths before looking up at Veronica.

"I don't think this is gonna work." He says calmly, tenderly.

"What? Why?"

"Veronica, I've told you I love you so many times my tongue hurts, and not once, not _once_ have you said it back to me. God, Veronica, you can't even let yourself trust me."

"If that's what you think, then fine, get the hell out!"

"What I think? What I think, Veronica? It's what I know. We've been together for the better part of two years and still you don't trust me. I just…I just can't handle it anymore."

Veronica slides off the bar stool and moves to the door. She opens it to find Lamb mid knock.

"I thought I'd come over and ask a few questions about what happened last night."

"Logan was just leaving."

"If you want me to stay, I'll stay."

"Goodbye Logan."

As Lamb enters, Logan exits, with one final sad, loving look.

Veronica slams the door shut in his face. Logan leans back against it.

"I love you."


End file.
